Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett has delivered a strong verdict on Arsenal’s overturned penalty in Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final.
With the score at 1-1 in the 78th minute, Arsenal were awarded a penalty after Eberechi Eze went down in the box following a challenge from David Hancko.
Referee Danny Makkelie pointed to the spot straight away, but after being sent to the VAR monitor for a review, he changed his decision and cancelled the penalty.
The decision meant Arsenal had to settle for a 1-1 draw, with Mikel Arteta branding the call ‘unacceptable’ and ‘extremely disappointing’.
Ex-PGMOL Chief ‘Amazed’ by Penalty Controversy
Arsenal Atletico
The disallowed penalty also had Hackett, as quoted by Football Insider, questioning the referee’s decision, with the former PGMOL chief saying VAR’s intervention on Wednesday left him ‘amazed’.
“Danny Makkelie, one of the world’s top referees, in a good position pointed to the penalty mark to award Arsenal a penalty kick. It was the correct decision.
“I was then amazed to see the intervention by VAR. I thought the only reason for that was the foul in the build-up. Of course I hadn’t seen that.
“However, when he went to the screen, it was the actual challenge that was questioned by the VAR.
“It was not a clear and obvious error, he shouldn’t have come in and, to my amazement, the referee went with VAR’s call.
“Arsenal will be upset by the fact that a penalty kick was correctly awarded and then wrongly overturned by the referee.
“Referees have got to back their judgement in these situations and that’s what Makkelie should have done.”
Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey, as quoted by The Sun, also believes VAR ‘should have never got involved’, as it was not a clear and obvious error by Makkelie to award a penalty.
“We’ve seen another controversial penalty given and then not given after VAR intervention.
“Now for me, in real time, I thought it was a clear foul by Hanko on Eze. Yes, clumsy. Yes, there was contact. Referee Danny Makkelie gives it in real time and then VAR recommends review.
“Now was it a clear and obvious error by the match referee? In my opinion, no.
“And I have to say I thought Simeone’s actions on the touchline were a disgrace. I just cannot believe that the fourth official did not act and get the referee over to deal with him.
“But once again we’ve seen another controversial incident. What a two days we’ve had in the Champions League Cup semi-finals.
“But for me, it’s a penalty and it should have stayed given.”
Halsey also believes Arsenal have every right to feel frustrated by another penalty decision on Wednesday, when Atletico were awarded a spot-kick after Ben White was penalised for handball. The former Premier League referee said:
“We’ve seen two big penalty incidents in the game between Atletico Madrid and Arsenal in the Champions League first leg semi-final in Madrid.
“We’ve seen another, in my opinion, dubious handball decision given after a VAR intervention where Ben White handles the ball, he’s off balance, he’s trying to block the shot, his arm’s in a natural position.
“So how can that be a deliberate handball?
“They are always given in the Champions League, but does that make it right? In my opinion, no, we saw a very poor handball decision given last night in the PSG and Bayern Munich game where for me, that was nonsense, that was never a penalty for a deliberate handball, and we’re seeing the same again tonight.”
Carragher Stuns with Mikel Arteta Remark
carragher
Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s 1-1 draw at Wanda Metropolitano, CBS Sports pundit Jamie Carragher claimed Arteta would be labelled either a ‘genius’ or a ‘fraud’ depending on how many trophies he wins this season. Carragher said:
“We're a month away from deciding what Mikel Arteta is. In a lot of people's eyes, he'll either be a genius or he'll be a fraud.
“That's the nature of it. I don't agree with either of those statements.”
Former Arsenal forward Thierry Henry was left shocked by Carragher’s comments, with the Frenchman appearing caught off guard as the camera panned to his wide-eyed reaction.
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